Imagine Dragons

“He considered music a liberating force: it liberated him from loneliness, introversion, the dust of the library; it opened the door of his body and allowed his soul to step out into the world and make friends.” 

From The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera 

On the advice of a friend when I was still back in Minnesota I set myself up with a playlist for my time in England. She does it for every trip she takes so that any time she hears a song from the playlist she's reminded of that experience. Now, I don't listen to a lot of music but I when I do I really don't like ads and I find most pop music extremely annoying after a few goes around. Thankfully I had just fallen in love with two bands - Of Monsters and Men and Imagine Dragons. Both semi-known, but not famous, bands (If you haven't heard either, check them out. I still enjoy listen to my mix seven months later.) So I downloaded their albums, as well as a few other songs, and headed over the pond.


Little did I know how those music choices would effect my time here. If you aren't already aware, I have one American friend who I've met at Warwick. We met during orientation and have been stuck together ever since (I mean, sometimes you just need another American to get that stupid cultural reference that you find so funny but no one else seems to get). It's actually really funny because when I first got here and people found out I was American they always would be like, "Oh, I've met another American!" And then proceed to ask me if I knew them, or try to help me become friends with them. Really, If I wanted only American friends I would have stayed in the States! But that's a whole different story that I don't have space/time for here.

Anyway, the reason I mention Allison (my American friend), is that about two weeks into Term 1, I'm looking at my Facebook feed and I get the shock of my life - Imagine Dragon was going to be in concert in the UK! I get super excited (way more that I should have, or usually do, about a concert). When I tell the people I'm with, totally expecting blank stares at the band's name, I'm surprised to hear that Allison also likes Imagine Dragons. What are the odds?

With great enthusiasm we look through the dates and locations. Oxford is the closest. Much to our disappointment our class schedules interfere with making the trip down to see them (how dare they, right? I mean, we aren't here to get an education or anything). As with the bizarre level of excitement at learning they were coming to the UK, the level of disappointment that we couldn't see them was somewhat disproportionate. 

Then, mid-December, the news broke (I make that sound way more major than it was for the general populous), Imagine Dragons was coming back to the UK and (oh, you may not believe this, but it gets better!) and they were going to be in Birmingham! Only a twenty (at the slowest) minute train ride from Coventry.  We again got way more excited than was normal (at least for me, I can't speak for Allison). So, with over three months to go before the concert, we went online and bought our tickets (I had a little drama thinking it was sold out - be still my freaking out heart - but all was fine in the end).

Last night the event finally arrived. On bus, train, and foot we traveled to The Institute, a smallish venue in the heart of Birmingham. Allison and I were not prepared for the crowd and extremely long line when we got there. Okay, so let me give you a little background on Imagine Dragon so you understand why we were surprised. The band's from Las Vegas and their first studio album was released in the US in September, just before I left. So, yeah, I can see them having a large crowd in America. But the album wasn't released in the UK until April 1st...2013! Yep - eight days before this concert! What! How do so many Brits not only really want to go to the concert but also know the words to all the songs! Most of the people standing around me know the words better than I did. Hum. According to Allison's local friend (he's not a townie, really, her classmate's just from Birmingham) that Imagine Dragon has "blown up overnight here." That also meant that the median age was around twenty. I knew I was in the age minority when a guy asked how Allison and I knew each other and gave me an "you're old" look when I said university. Whatever, we were fans first! Ah, the joys of liking a band that gains sudden popularity (which usually means that those who made it "sudden" still say 'teen' when asked their age).

Overall the show was good. The main source of my entertainment, however, was this guy in front of me trying for most of the concert to pick up the girl next to him. I would put him in the category "chatterbox" and I'm pretty sure that she gave him her number (hopefully a fake one) to get him to stop talking. I haven't been to a regular (not festival or outdoor) concert in years, and I have to say, this one was a good one.

Now all I have to do is get to a Of Monsters and Men concert here and my musical experience in England will be complete!